‘I hate you Sachin, you are making millions cry, don’t go,‘ stated a placard at the ground.

.

Sachin Tendulkar (PTI)

As a 16-year-old cricketer Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar made headlines on November 15, 1989, for being the third youngest Test debutante by playing against Pakistan. On October 10, 2013, the 40 year-old cricketer known to his ardent fans as “God of Cricket” announced his retirement ending a blazing 24-year career.

Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium (Source: dailymail.co.uk)

The 200th and last Test Match for Sachin Tendulkar began yesterday, November 14, 2013, at his home ground, Wankhade Stadium, Mumbai.

Before the start of the Second Test between India and West Indies, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) honoured Sachin Tendulkar by presenting him with a trophy.

Gold Toss coin

India’s skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni tossed a specially crafted gold coin with Sachin’s image on one side and the MCA’s logo on the other as West Indies skipper Darren Sammy called. Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl first disappointing Sachin’s fans.

Sachin received the gold toss coin as a memento as he plays his 200th and last Test match of his 24 years career. Select dignitaries will receive 1000 replicas of the coin at the stadium.

Sachin Tendulkar poses with a stamp book released to commemorate his last and 200th test match against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai today. (Photo – K.R. Deepak)Two Postage Stamps to honour Sachin Tendulkar.

After the toss, the Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal released the commemorative postage stamps to pay tribute to the prodigious cricketer. Union Minister Sharad Pawar, Rajeev Shukla and Milind Murli Deora also joined in releasing the postage stamp honouring Tendulkar. After Mother Teresa, the 40-year old legend is the second person to have a postage stamp released after him, when still alive.

Sachin Tendulkar leading the Indian team on February 14, 2013. (Image – Cricinfo)

Great cricket stalwarts of yesteryear such as Clive Lloyd, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Dilip Vengsarksr, Ravi Shashtri, Wasim Akram greeted Sachin Tendulkar, walked on to the field with the rest of the Indian team to field against the West Indies.

Sachin Tendulkar’s Amma (Mother).

Union ministers Kabil Sibal, Sharad Pawar, Milind Murli Deora, Rahul Gandhi, actors Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, and many other VIPs, were seen at the stadium yesterday and today along with the ever-roaring die-hard fans including Sachin’s mother, his daughter Sara and son Arjun.

The West Indies were bowled out for 182 in their first innings. Pragyan Ojha took a five-wicket haul.

At the third session of day’s play, Darren Sammy opened the bowling for the visitors, and Murali Vijay took the strike.

At 13.2 overs, when the score was 77, Shikhar Dhawan was caught by Shivnarine Chanderpaul to Shane Shillingford bowling after scoring 33 runs. Cheteshwar Pujara walked into bat. Four balls later Murali Vijay fell to Shillingford for 43.

At the fall of the second Indian wicket the loud cheer from the live audience at Wankhade Stadium and Sachin’s fans around the globe glued to the TVs in their homes and offices, invariably welcomed Sachin. Coming on to bat as number 4 has been Sachin’s cherished batting position.

In 1948, while playing in his last Test innings at the Oval, Sir Don Bradman’s eyes became moist and he failed to spot Eric Hollies’ googly. He got out for a duck. Luckily, Sachin Tendulkar has escaped from that type of predicament for at the end of the first day’s play Sachin had scored 38 runs from 73 balls.

Cheteshwar Pujara scored 34 runs from 49 balls. At the end of the first day’s play India after facing 34 overs had scored 157 runs for the loss of two wickets. In the Indian dressing room Bhuvneshwar Kumar padded up as the nightwatchman removed his gear.

Here are some of the tweets from cricketers all around the world who paid their tribute to Sachin:

Alan Wilkins tweets: This is a Test Match like no other! Let Sachin enjoy it as much as he can…this is a celebration of the greatest Cricket Career of all time.

Ian Bell tweets: The atmosphere in Mumbai right now must be immense!! #ThankYouSachin #LittleMaster

Joe Root tweets: Sachin made his debut for India before I was born. Then played in my test debut #ThankYouSachin

Russel Arnold tweets: Good luck to Sachin today…. Hope he dishes out a treat for his mother!!! #IndvsWI

Shane Warne tweets: @warne888 #Sachin was the best batsmen I’ve seen. @brianlara second and outstanding too. These 2 were so much better than everybody else….

Stuart Broad tweets: Remarkable achievement by a legend of the sport we love. #200 #ThankYouSachin

Tweets from Indian cricketers:

Dinesh Karthik tweets: Wishing Sachin paji a grt test match,will be watching it only for the legend #ThankYouSachin

Rohit Sharma tweets: I can never retire from Sachin. #SRTFOREVER

Suresh Raina tweets: No matter how many times u say it, still feels less. The greatest ever. The Legend. Wonderful to say #SalaamSachin

Today, morning, a very relaxed and calm Sachin Tendulkar walked on to the field with Cheteshwar Pujara. The play started with Pujara facing Best.

Tendulkar hit a four off Best’s last ball in the 39th over (38.5) to reach his 68th Test fifty. It was also, his 10th against West Indies. Pujara reached his 4th Test fifty getting one run off a ball from for Gabriel.

Last ball of the 48th over (47.5) off the relatively new bowler Narsingh Deonarine proved fatal for Sachin Tendulkar.

Narsingh Deonarine

“Deonarine to Tendulkar, out Caught by Sammy!! No, no, no, Tendulkar, no, no, no. How many times have we seen a relatively new bowler get his wicket. It is that man Sammy again taking another blinder. I tell you what, it was not an easy catch at all. Flatter delivery outside off stump, Tendulkar looks to cut late and gets a thick outside edge, the ball flies quickly off, and Sammy leans back and takes a wonderful catch. The entire ground is stunned. He gets a standing ovation as some are in tears. Wife Anjali cannot believe that he’s been dismissed and so can I. He was batting so beautifully, unfortunately, the treat has come to an end. Thank you Master for all that you’ve done. “

In 1925, The World Conference for the Well-being of Children in Geneva, Switzerland, proclaimed June 1 as International Children’s Day and then established universally in 1954. Now, many countries around the world, celebrate Children’s Day, but on different days each year.

Universal Children’s Day

A major global variant of Children’s Day is the Universal Children’s Day celebrated on November 20 every year.

The United Nations General Assembly recommended this day in 1954 to urge all its member countries to institute a day, with the aim to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children, and to initiate action to help and promote the welfare of children globally as outlined in the Charter.

Today, November 14, India celebrates Children’s Day. On this day, India remembers and honours the country’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The children of India fondly called him “Chacha Nehru” (Hindi: चाचा नेहरू)) or Uncle Nehru.

Nehru consistently emphasized the importance of showering love and affection on children. He saw in them the future of India.

On Children’s Day, the Kids in India engage themselves in the fun and frolic. Various educational, cultural, social, institutions organize functions and conduct competitions for children all over the country. The State and the Central governments organize film festivals in many parts of the country to showcase Children’s films.

In many schools, the children themselves arrange the cultural activities on this day. Teachers also get involved; in many schools, they sing and dance for their students.

First Day Cover for commemorating Children’s Day 2012 in India

Every year, India Post issues special stamps of paintings by children and First Day Covers for commemorating Children’s Day in India. Here are the commemorative stamps issued from year 2006 to 2012. Please note that these images of the postage stamps are not to scale.

A week ago, my nephew Reny Vincent, shared a post that he had come across in Facebook. This post written in Tamil is about a CEYLON stamp with a face value of 3 cents issued on the occasion of the Sambuddha Jayanthi 2500 Era 2nd Issue. After sharing this post, Reny wrote on my timeline on Facebook, “Periappa, any comment? :-)”

I read the article. The author of this post has written very accurately the story about prince Vijaya, who hailed from the north-east part of India, arriving in Sri Lanka. What irked me, (and might have irked Reny as well, otherwise he would not have asked for my comment) was that the author after writing so beautifully has slandered the government of Sri Lanka and the Sinhalese people using vituperative language.

This is the post that Reny shared:

I have pointed out in red the stamp in question and the legend in Tamil that’s written underneath it.

Under the postage stamp, the author has described it as follows in Tamil:

“The postage stamp that was released and retracted by the Lankan government”

As I told your earlier this post is in Tamil and a lengthy one. If you can read Tamil, please click on the above link and try to find out the fallacy in the author’s statement about the postage stamp.

I feel that the the author, ignorant on the subject of postage stamps, had used this 3 cents postage stamp unscrupulously to rouse the rabble. And I would say that he had succeeded in his mission. Mind you, this post has been shared 97 times. And has been commented by 122 persons, and all of them, using abusive language against the government of Sri Lanka, its politicians, and the Sinhalese people

Here are 2 sample comments:

Comments #1: V nice to here the history of sri lanka how ever i also have this stamp with me but i don’t know the history i am v. grateful for your information. (sic)

I just don’t understand why some of these guys from Tamilnadu are so gullible. Is it the hate towards the Sinhalese stymieing their mind and obstructing their eyes from seeing what is apparently placed before them?

Okay. Here is my reply to my nephew:

Dear Reny,

The story of Vijaya and Kuveni is correctly told by this person as per what I learned. Also, Vijaya and his companions marrying Tamil women brought from South India is correct. In fact, even the Sinhalese accept this.

I remember seeing a Sinhalese TV short film (a short story and not a documentary) on Rupavahini during 1983-84 or so at the height of ethnic troubles in which a Buddhist monk admonishes the irate crowd of Sinhales saying something like this: “Aren’t you ashamed to attack these (Tamil) women. Don’t you remember we originated from their wombs and drank the milk from their breasts?”

Please note that this postage stamp was issued on May 23, 1956 and was invalidated on October 1, 1966 after a period of 10 years and 4 months. It has value of 3 cents and the name of the country is CEYLON and not Sri Lanka.

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